We Are One: A MessengerHP Crossover
by Meredith Trainor
Summary: One cold night, Potter, Granger, Weasley, and Malfoy are given a strange detention: to deliver a message to the far-off villages across the Forbidden Forest. Lois Lowry's Messenger and Harry Potter crossover!
1. The Task at Hand

We Are One: A Messenger/Harry Potter Crossover

A/N: For those of you who haven't read Lois Lowry's The Messenger, I seriously recommend it. This ficlet takes place somewhere during Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco's first year.

Detention. Hermione's first, to be sure. The brown-eyed Gryffindor stood as if petrified, pale against the darkness of the dungeon. Draco's first as well; Snape had reluctantly listened to seven eyewitnesses before allowing that maybe Mr. Malfoy had indeed slapped Potter in the face, and so the both of them would deserve detention. And Ms. Granger sought to argue? She can join them! Mr. Weasley, have you something to say? Such a foul mouth; I will see you along with Draco, Granger, and Potter in this dungeon at precisely eight o'clock!

Harry Potter leaned sullenly against the wall, wishing for even a little more light in this hellhole. His wish was granted at a cost: Snape entered, bringing with him a lantern and—Fang?!? The four students came to join him, and Ron burst out,

"Where's Hagrid?"

Snape's lip curled. "Rubeus is currently occupied elsewhere, and so you will be traveling with only the dog's assistance tonight. The Forbidden Forest is deep, but I trust four oh-so-intelligent students like yourself can find your way across."

Draco's eyes widened in shock, "Across?!? But sir, there must be a mistake-

"There is no mistake, Draco. You four will be delivering a message to the village master at Bagdola, directly south of the Forest. If you leave now you will reach Bagdola's limits in about four hours. And I trust this will teach you not to disrupt my class again!" With that, he whisked away, after shoving a thick scroll into Hermione's hand. She turned and began to walk up the stairs, when Harry stopped her with a touch on the arm. "Let me read that." She sputtered, "But I'm sure it's classified from Dumbled—

"Dear Warlock Bagdomen, from Professor Albus Dumbledore, of Hogwarts Castle,

I regret to inform you it is the decision of the trustees of Hogwarts School to close the Castle. I am deeply sorry, as I know what this will mean to the poor and destitute who seek sanctuary here. This is the decision of the trustees, whose names follow this note. Please post this decision in the villages surrounding this region. I remain, yours cordially,

A. Dumbledore"

Hermione listened in dismay. "That's dreadful!" But it was Draco who silenced her.

"I think there's something scribbled here, not dictated. It's tiny, but… "MAGNIMOS!"

The Slytherin read the magnified words pouring from his wand.

"P.S. Remember, help will always be given to those who ask for it."

Harry proudly nodded: this was purely Dumbledore.

"We have to get this message out. Tonight."

End of Chapter One! If you want more, rate and review!


	2. Prologue

**Chapter Two: Prologue**

A/N: Yes, I know a prologue generally appears before any action takes place, and certainly isn't a second chapter, but I felt my dear readers ought to know the background of _my_ Harry Potter world.

The graffiti vanished exactly two days after it was placed on Gryffindor hall; two nights, to be exact, for the vandals who'd drawn it had done so under cover of darkness.

A snake, a muscular green cobra, lashed his fangs out at any Gryffindor student who walked by, and a sickly looking Lion hung his head. The expression on Professor McGonagall's face damned the artist to the deepest depths of Hades, and to Harry and the other student's concern, all the teachers gave the same lecture in class the next day. By the fifth class, Ron was quoting behind Flitwick's back, "_The disgrace to this establishment_" … "_immorality that no Hogwarts student should possess!_" "_A rain of punishment shall be unleashed upon those who dared to—_ "  
He paused, but Ron didn't. "—_to disregard the honor of these sacred…_" He blushed the color of a poinsettia when he realized he spoke alone, "Sacred halls?" Luckily, Flitwick was too wound up in his speech, and resumed it as if there had never been a disturbance.

After class, the trio discussed it among themselves, and, for the fifth time that day, came to the same conclusion. Slytherin painted the graffiti. As Harry said, "It's only too obvious! The snake and the cowardly lion, who isn't going to figure it out?" Hermione pursed his lips and thought a moment while Ron charged on, "It's ridiculous how they're going on about it, all the teachers. Why can't they just erase it, put Slytherin House in a lockdown, and be done with it?"

The two waited for Hermione's brilliant reply, but all the bushy-haired witch said was, "Keep your voices down, and follow me. Something's happening." Ron and Harry exchanged glances, but did as she told them, and they set off rather quickly down the hallway in which they'd been idly chatting. Abruptly, Hermione veered right, and the boys realized she was leading them down a winding staircase. Ron grabbed her arm.

"Are you bloody mad? That's Slytherin territory!" Harry had to agree; this rather seemed like an act of war, especially after the events of last night.

"No, just listen!" But she stopped talking. What did she want them to hear? Then Harry heard it; the whispering of three masculine voices. He could only pick out one; either Crabbe or Goyle's, and he was the only one speaking slowly enough to distinguish words. "Tomorrow night, same time?" The others murmured a reply. Then a pair of footsteps thudded off into the distance, and two were left. "Shall we tell Draco what the plan is?" Crabbe-or-Goyle's voice asked. The trio strained their ears for some clue.

"No, let's not. What Master Malfoy doesn't know won't hurt him." Harry could practically see the sneer, though he didn't recognize the voice. "It may hurt some cowardly Lions, though, if all goes accordingly." The pair stopped talking, and their footsteps sounded on the staircase. Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione, and they left the enemy's haven.

After he'd said goodnight to Ron, Harry lay there on his four-poster bed, thinking of the unfamiliar voice. And always, his thoughts drifted back to Malfoy. Why didn't the other three Slytherins confide in him, particularly Crabbe and Goyle? The three were nigh inseparable, yet here two of them were, hatching plans under a new boss. It was curious, but Harry couldn't untangle the knot.

Eventually he fell asleep, dreaming of Lions and cobras, and in a cruel flash of his scar, he saw the halls of Hogwarts split apart, as if by magical earthquake. When he woke, Ron was standing over him, and his pillow was soaked in sweat.

"Did you hear it?" He anxiously inquired.

"Yea I bloody heard it!" Ron spoke as if to a madman, "You were yelling your head off for a moment there!"

"No, not that! Did you hear the crack?" But Harry knew before Ron answered; it had all been a dream. It was the kind of horrific nightmare little children have about homes burning down, where the sickening helplessness leaves the dreamer exhausted. And so Harry fell back to sleep.


End file.
